German sewage plant bosses play Mozart to microbes to speed up waste breakdown
BOSSES at a German waste plant unveiled a bizarre new scheme today to speed up the sewage process by playing Mozart to their microbes.
Officials believe the composer’s music helps to stimulate activity among the tiny organisms that break down waste, the Markische Allgemeine newspaper said.
Classics such as The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro are being piped in around-the-clock, via a series of speakers designed to replicate the acoustics of a concert hall.
It is hoped that the Austrian’s soothing symphonies and operas will drive down energy costs at the waste-treatment facility in Treuenbrietzen, southwest of Berlin.
The wacky scheme was developed by scientists at German firm Mundus who say microbes are particularly partial to harmonies and rhythms.
When combined with large quantities of oxygen, the sonic patterns stimulate activity and help to breakdown sludge more efficiently.
“If it means we can save €1,000 ($1200) per month on sludge disposal, then it would definitely be worth it,” Detlef Dalichow, the plant’s sewage manager, told the Markische Allgemeine newspaper.